Killer Is Dead Is Weird – Even For Dedicated Suda 51 Fans

Knowledgable and all around awesome, Robert has mastered video game journalism for years, writing for a number of sites including AOL GameDaily, Planet Xbox 360 and GameZone.com. Also known as the George Clooney of the Video Game Industry in some circles (mostly women).

 Published August 27, 2013 5:13 AM

Gigolo Mode – and the game's overall tone – may leave you feeling lost and overwhelmed on more than one occasion.

I admire the work of Suda 51. The producer refuses to go down the beaten path of traditional game design, instead going with more over-the-top ideas. They've paid off over the years, including a spirited collaboration with director James Gunn (Lollipop Chainsaw), an admirable demon-hunting adventure (the criminally underrated Shadows of the Damned), and, of course, the bounty hunting tales to end all bounty hunting tales (No More Heroes and its respective sequel).

But sometimes even a mad scientist can have a day off, and that's kind of what happened with Killer In Dead. The game has some inspired hack-and-slash action, and, yes, it's not every day you face a possessed locomotive with a face staring right at you, so there are moments when you'll crack a smile. But the narrative feels all off, and the game tries to use stylish sexuality to its advantage – to the point that it goes excessive with it. You might need to take a shower afterwards.

You play Mondo Zappa, a hitman who specializes in taking on special missions. His main weapons are a katana and a cannon that utilizes blood for ammunition – yes, blood. Over the course of the game, Mondo will deal with truly bizarre missions, ranging from retrieving a musician's ears – who steals ears?! – to taking on a twisted Alice In Wonderland-like scenario, complete with giant bug creature made up of, well, a fake Alice. What else?

Along the way, you'll deal with female companions and some freaky characters, including weird-looking aliens who run a French-like complex up on the moon. Yeah, try making sense of that one.

The game consists mostly of action sequences, and they aren't bad, though there are times you'll be a little lost as to what's happening and how to react. The defense system is well implemented, as you can dodge an incoming attack, then let an enemy have it either with an instant decapitation – one of my favorite parts of the game – or an over-the-top super attack. Some bosses are tough, though, and will leave you laying and using one of your precious resurrections.